David’s Military Census
(Exodus 30:11–16; 2 Samuel 24:1–9)

1And Satan stoode vp against Israel, and prouoked Dauid to nomber Israel. 2Therefore Dauid said to Ioab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, and nomber Israel from Beer-sheba euen to Dan, and bring it to me, that I may knowe the nomber of them. 3And Ioab answered, The Lord increase his people an hundreth times so many as they be, O my lord the King: are they not all my lords seruats? Wherefore doeth my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of trespasse to Israel? 4Neuerthelesse the Kings word preuailed against Ioab; Ioab departed and went thorowe all Israel, and returned to Ierusalem. 5And Ioab gaue the nomber and summe of the people vnto Dauid: and all Israel were eleuen hundreth thousande men that drewe sword: and Iudah was foure hundreth and seuentie thousande men that drewe sword. 6But the Leuites and Beniamin counted he not among them: for the Kings worde was abominable to Ioab.

Judgment for David’s Sin
(2 Samuel 24:10–14)

7And God was displeased with this thing: therefore he smote Israel. 8Then Dauid saide vnto God, I haue sinned greatly, because I haue done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, remooue the iniquitie of thy seruant: for I haue done very foolishly.

9And the Lorde spake vnto Gad Dauids Seer, saying, 10Goe and tell Dauid, saying, Thus saith the Lorde, I offer thee three thinges: choose thee one of them, that I may doe it vnto thee. 11So Gad came to Dauid, and sayde vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Take to thee 12Either three yeeres famine, or three moneths to be destroyed before thine aduersaries, and the sworde of thine enemies to take thee, or els the sworde of the Lorde and pestilence in the lande three dayes, that the Angel of the Lorde may destroy throughout all the coastes of Israel: nowe therefore aduise thee, what word I shal bring againe to him that sent me. 13And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait. Let me nowe fall into the hande of the Lorde: for his mercies are exceeding great, and let me not fall into the hande of man.

A Plague on Israel
(2 Samuel 24:15–17)

14So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel, and there fell of Israel seuentie thousande men. 15And God sent the Angel into Ierusalem to destroy it; as he was destroying, the Lorde behelde, and repented of the euill and sayde to the Angel that destroyed, It is nowe ynough, let thine hande cease. Then the Angel of the Lord stoode by the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite. 16And Dauid lift vp his eyes, and sawe the Angel of the Lorde stande betweene the earth and the heauen with his sworde drawen in his hand, and stretched out towarde Ierusalem. Then Dauid and the Elders of Israel, which were clothed in sacke, fell vpon their faces. 17And Dauid said vnto God, Is it not I that commanded to nomber the people? It is euen I that haue sinned and haue committed euil, but these sheepe what haue they done? O Lorde my God, I beseech thee, let thine hande be on me and on my fathers house, and not on thy people for their destruction.

David Builds an Altar
(2 Samuel 24:18–25)

18Then the Angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to Dauid, that Dauid should goe vp, and set vp an altar vnto the Lord in the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite. 19So Dauid went vp according to the saying of Gad, which he had spoken in the Name of the Lorde. 20And Ornan turned about, and sawe the Angel, and his foure sonnes, that were with him, hid them selues, and Ornan thresshed wheat. 21And as Dauid came to Ornan, Ornan looked and sawe Dauid, and went out of the thresshing floore, and bowed himselfe to Dauid with his face to the grounde. 22And Dauid saide to Ornan, Giue me the place of thy thresshing floore, that I may builde an altar therein vnto the Lorde: giue it me for sufficient money, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 23Then Ornan saide vnto Dauid, Take it to thee, and let my lord the King do that which seemeth him good: loe, I giue thee bullockes for burnt offrings, and thresshing instruments for wood, and wheat for meate offring, I giue it all. 24And King Dauid saide to Ornan, Not so: but I will bye it for sufficient money: for I wil not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offrings without cost. 25So Dauid gaue to Ornan for that place sixe hundreth shekels of golde by weight. 26And Dauid built there an altar vnto the Lorde, and offred burnt offrings, and peace offrings, and called vpon the Lorde, and he answered him by fire from heauen vpon the altar of burnt offring. 27And when the Lorde had spoken to the Angel, he put vp his sworde againe into his sheath.

28At that time when Dauid sawe that the Lorde had heard him in the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite, then he sacrificed there. 29(But the Tabernacle of the Lorde which Moses had made in the wildernesse, and the altar of burnt offring were at that season in the hie place at Gibeon. 30And Dauid could not go before it to aske counsel at God: for he was afraide of the sworde of the Angel of the Lorde.)